Combined bottle closure and opening means therefor



Dec. 29, 1964 R. E. SIDDENS ETAL 3,163,309

COMBINED BOTTLE CLOSURE AND OPENING MEANS THEREFOR Filed Oct. 1, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. ROBERT E.SIDDENS BY MATTHEW J.SHEROCK Dec. 29, 1964 R. E. 'SIDDENS ETAL COMBINED BOTTLE CLOSURE AND OPENING MEANS THEREFOR 2. Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 1, 1963 INVENTOR. ROBERT E. SIDDENS By MATTgEw J.SHEROCK United States Patent f 3,163,309 COMBINED BDTTLE CLQSURE- AND OPENING 2 MEANS Ti-IEREFQR Robert E. Siddens, 417 Lincoln Road, Rockville', 1nd,, gallitiliwaflhew J. Sherock, 321% 5 Mile Road, Livonia,

Filed Oct. 1 1963, Ser. No. 312,908 Claims. (Cl. 215-46) This invention relates to new and useful improvements inbottle closures and more particularly to a combined bottle closure and'opening means therefor.

The prior art discloses several examples of bottle closures having a combined opener in a unitary structure. The best examples of the prior art are Merolle United States Patent 2,250,544 and Italian Patents 552,665 and 475,010. In each case, the combined'bottle closure and opener has a feature which has prevented its commercial exploitation. The combined bottle'closures and openers of the prior art generally sulferlfrom the. disadvantage that the opener portion is difiicult to operate and interferes with the use of the closure in commercial bottling equipment. 7 a It is therefore, one object of the present invention to provide an improved combined bottle closure and opener in a unitary structure which avoids the disadvantages of the prior art. p

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved combined bottle closure and opener which is easily attached to and removed from the open top of a bottle and which is economically feasible.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved combined bottle closure and opener which facilitates tight sealing of the' open top of a bottle and which requires a minimum effort to remove the same from the bottle.

A feature of this invention is to provide a new and improved combined bottle closure and opener wherein the opener comprises a lever arranged to pivot and lift the'closure from a bottle top by application of lifting force acrossthev entire width of the closure.

Another feature of this invention is to provide a new and improved combined bottle closure and opener wherein the opener comprises a lever arranged to apply a lifting force to remove the closure from a bottle top without tearing the closure. i

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FIG.- 6 is a sectionalview taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 3 showing the manner in which the lever is recessed in the bottleclosure;

FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of the closure shown in the preceding figures; I a i FIG. 8 is a top plan view of thecombined closure and opener with a tamper seal placed across the opener lever;

FIG. 9 is an isometric view of the'bottle closure with the opener lever in a partially operated position;

FIGS. 10, 11, 12 and 13 are each sectional views similar toFIGS. 3 and4 showing an alternate embodiment of the invention-with the opener lever at different stages of operation.

Referring to the drawings by numerals of reference and more particularly to FIGSpl to 9, there is shown one preferred embodiment of this invention in which a lever opener is combined into a bottle closure in such a manner as to avoid many of the difiiculties of the prior art. The closure comprises a cap' member 10 including a top wall 12 and a depending corrugated skirt 14. n A sealing disk ldconformably shaped tofit under the cap member 10 is positioned within the cap member 10 so that it bears against the undersurface of the top wall 12 and has its perimeter in sealing engagement with the skirt 14. The sealing disk is preferably formed of a flexible material such as plastic or the like, although other suitable sealing-materials can be used.

The top wall 12 of the cap member 10 is provided with a raised portion .18 extendingchordally thereof. Raised side chordal portions 19 extend from the raised portion 18 to complete a raised surface of generally U-shaped form. The raised portion 18 is provided with a slot 20' also extending chor'dally of the top wall 12 between the raised side portions 19.,

In this embodiment of the invention, a T-shaped lever 22 is provided for opening the bottle cap. The lever 22 is at least partially embedded in the sealingdisk 16 as shown in the exploded view of FIG. 2 and in the cross sectional views shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The lever 22 has a leg 24 and crosshead 26 which are designed for maximum efficiency in opening the bottle cap. The lever and i sealing disk are initially positioned within thebottle cap as shown in FIGS. 1 to 6. Leg 24 of lever 22 is positioned through slot 20 in a position overlying top wall 12 g of cap member 10 between the raised portions 19. The

. lever crosshead 26 is positioned underlying the raised Still another feature of this invention is to' provide a. i

new and improved combined bottle closure and opener wherein the opener comprises a lever which is recessed into the closure to prevent interference with the bottling.

and claims as hereinafter related.

In the accompanying drawings, to be taken as apart of this specification, there are clearly and fully illustrated two preferred embodiments of this invention in which drawings,

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of acombined bottle closure and opener lever representing one embodiment of this invention; i v

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the closure and opener shown in FIG. 1 in which the closure is separated from the opener lever and sealing disk;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view similar to that shown in FIG. 3 with the opener lever in a partially operated position;

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the opener lever shown in FIGS. 1 to 4;

portion 18 of top wall 12. Crosshea'd 260i lever 22 is relatively narrow and has its back edge 25 cut off flat with corner portions 23 cut away to provide improved efiiciency in operation. As is shown in several-of the figures, crosshead 26 of lever 22 is. of a width such that the edge 21 which applies the lifting force to the bottle cap is posi apparent'from time to time throughout the specification tioned a substantial distance beyond the upper edge. of slot 20. The importance of thesefeatures of propertioning and positioning of the bottle opening lever will become apparent in the description of operation of this combined bottle closure and opener.

In use, the combined cap and opener of the present invention can be substituted for the conventionl crown cap used to seal bottles and may be placedin sealing engagement with the ,open top of a bottle by means of the usual bottle closure tool or bottling machine. The combined cap and lever opener is placed on the open end 28 of the bottle and clamped in position by the bottle closing tool or bottling machine.

When it is desired to open the bottle, leg 24 of lever 22 is lifted by a' finger (preferably the thumb) of the user to the elevated position shown in FIG. 4. When the lever 22 first begins to pivot upward, the force applying edge 21 which is positioned inward from the upper edge of slot 20 applies an upward force against chordal portions 19 at the point indicated by reference numeral the entire lifting force against the bottle cap is applied at points 17 rather than by :motion of the lever against the raised portion 18 which -would otherwise tend to tear the cap. The successive stages of operation 'of the lever in opening the bottle cap can also be visualized from FIGS. 9 to l3'which show different stages inoperation of another embodiment of the invention. The lift- .ing of lever- 22 which lifts the bottle cap away from to break the top 28 of the bottle also moves the seal'16 the sealing relation to the bottle top..

having arcuate upper ends which caused the lifting force exerted by the lever to be against the slot through which the lever extended. In such prior art devices, there was excessive tendency of the lever metal of the cap. v

It will be observed that there. are nosharp bends or offsets anywhere in" the T-shaped lifting lever 22a non in th e identical T-shaped lifting lever 22. Hence, there are no weak areas subject to bending or fracture. As will be observed in the several cross sectional views, the top end of the lever lies at aslight angle to the cap.

7 Hence, the lower end of the lever arm or stem 24a is deflected slightly downwards (in installed position) whereby the lower end of the lever, armis substantially When a combined bottle closure. and opener of this a type is used for sealing bottles which are sold from open selling racks or shelves, there is a need 'for a means to indicate whether thebottle has been opened prior to sale. In FIG. 8, the bottle cap is shown with a seal 29 secured in position over leg 24 of lever 22. Seal 29 maybe of paper, plastic, metal foil, or the like,

and may include product identification or other suitable indicia. Seal 29 may also be provided with weakened portions or cuts 31 which facilitate opening where .the

seal is of a tough material such as a plastic film. If the lever has been operated to remove the cap from the bottle, the tamper seal 29 will be torn and will reveal the fact that the bottle has been opened.

Another preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 10 to 13 inclusive. Substantially all of the parts in this embodiment of the invention are the same as those heretofore shown and described and are identified by the corresponding reference numerals with the addition of the sutfix a. The distinction between the two embodiments of the invention is that the crosshead 26a of the T-shaped lever 22a simply lies on top of the plastic sealing disk 16a rather-,than being embedded therein. e

As will be seen in FIGS. 10 to 13,.the top'of the crosshead 26a is formed straight across at a, thereby lying on a chord of the cap. This is similar to the preceding embodiment, wherein the raised portion 18 is shown as having a chordal terminating edge housing crosshead 26. .Thus, when the lever is lifted to. a cap releasing position as shown successively in FIGS. 11, 12, and 13, it is the upper front'corners 23a and edgeZS of the crosshead 26a that bear against the plastic seal- 1 ing disk 16a directly above bottle top 28a as indicated at 32. Furthermore, it is the opposite edge21a of crosshead 26 that serves as a pivot bearing'against the under? side of raised portions 19a of the cap as shown at point 17a.

As a result of the aforementioned lifting, and leveragepoints, thereis a rather. considerable'rnechanical advantage to this bottle opener. Thus, one need not apply too harda lifting force beneath stem 24a, and there is I little likelihood of bending the stem. As will be observed, the stem is somewhat thicker than the metal of the bottle cap, as is also the crosshead, whereby the lever resists even the slightest bending tendencies imposed on it This is in distinction to prior art closures wherein the pivot point of a. release'leveris on the stem of the lever (and sometimes thelever is rebent), thus tending to cause the lever to cut through the cap with- 1 out lifting the cap from sealing position or to bend flat relative to the cap. As will be observed in the several cross sectional views the end of the lever is terminated slightly short of the circumferential edge of the cap. This end-ofthe lever, is arcuate as indicated at 38 in FIG. 5. With such termination, and with the depressed central portionof the cap formed by raised portions 18 and 19 (or. 18a and19a), the lever is completely recessed. Thus,,=the cap can be handled by stand ard commercial crown capping machinery. Further, there is no problem of the lever catching as cases of beverages are slid across the tops of bottles.

While the lever opener arrangement is primarily used for removal of caps which have been sealed at the bottling plant, it is obvious that the cap may be re-used to seal a bottle and the lever again used for opening it.

While we have described our invention fully and comletely with special emphasis upon certain preferred em bocliments, we wish itato be understood that within the scope of the appended .claims, this invention may be edges, I V a said lever being positioned with said leg etxending through said slot and overlying said top wall,

and with said crosshead underlying said top wall between. said slot and the adjacent portion of said corrugated skirt, p v said crosshead having a length sufiicient for its-ends to overlie the top wall of the bottle closed by said, cap member both inthe normal closed position and throughout substantially the entire range of rotation of the lever, y Y and having a width such thatsaidtwo inner edges lie along a line substantially inwardly of the outer edge of said slot such .that'upon lifting the. outer end of said lever upwardly to rotate said crosshead said two inner edges -will pivot upwardly against the underside of said cap member top wall-at areas lying on said line extending substantially inwardly, of the outer edge of said slot to deform said top wall along said line and provide a pivot point for said crosshead, and rotate the opposite edge of said crosshead downwardly to bear effectively against the top wall of the 'bottle and lift the cap member out of closing relation thereto, I

and bottle sealing means fitting within said cap member beneath said lever and lying between. said lever and;

to'bend or to tear thean outer edge and twoinner the bottle top when said cap member is in bottle closing position.

2. A combined bottle closure and opener means according to claim 1 in which said bottle sealing means is a flexible plastic sealing disk.

3. A combined bottle closure and opener means according to claim 2 in which the crosshead of said lever is embedded in said sealing disk.

4. A combined bottle closure and opener means according to claim 1 in which the leg of said lever extends through said slot at a shallow angle to the top wall of said cap, and the free end of said leg is deflected toward said cap top wall substantially into parallelism therewith.

5. A combined bottle closure and opener means according to claim 1 which includes a tamper seal overlying the operating leg of said lever.

6. A combined bottle closure and opener means according to claim 1 in which said cap top wall has a. raised portion extending chordally thereof and side raised portions joining said first named raised portion and coacting to define a depressed portion therebetween, said chordally extending slot being located adjacent to said first named raised portion, and said lever being positioned with the operating leg in said depressed portion and the crosshead underlying said first named raised portion.

7. A combined bottle closure and opener means ac- 6 cording to claim 6 in which said bottle sealing means is a flexible plastic sealing disk.

8. A combined bottle closure and opener means according to claim 6 in which the leg of said lever extends through said slot at a-shallow angle to the top wall of said cap, and the free end of said leg is deflected toward said cap top wall substantially into parallelism therewith.

9. A combined bottle closure and opener means according to claim 6 which includes a tamper seal overlying the operating leg of said lever.

10. A combined bottle closure and opener means according to claim 7 in which the crosshead of said lever is embedded in said sealing disk.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 353,751 12/86 Lawson 216-83 1,280,853 10/18 Rosenfeld 215'83 2,250,544 7/41 Merolle 215-46 FOREIGN PATENTS 552,665 12/56 Italy.

' 595,884 4/60 Canada.

25 FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Primary Examiner. 

1. A COMBINED BOTTLE CLOSURE AND OPENING MEANS THEREFOR COMPRISING A CAP MEMBER INCLUDING A TOP WALL AND A DEPENDING CORRUGATED SKIRT ADAPTED TO ENGAGE ABOUT THE OPEN TOP OF A BOTTLE, SAID TOP WALL HAVING A CHORDALLY EXTENDING SLOT HAVING AN OUTER EDGE AND AN INNER EDGE THEREIN, A T-SHAPED LEVER HAVING A LEG AND A CROSSHEAD, SAID CROSSHEAD HAVING AN OUTER EDGE AND TWO INNER EDGES, SAID LEVER BEING POSITIONED WITH SAID LEG EXTENDING THROUGH SAID SLOT AND OVERLYING SAID TOP WALL, AND WITH SAID CROSSHEAD UNDERLYING SAID TOP WALL BETWEEN SAID SLOT AND THE ADJACENT PORTION OF SAID CORRUGATED SKIRT, SAID CROSSHEAD HAVING A LENGTH SUFFICIENT FOR ITS ENDS TO OVERLIE THE TOP WALL OF THE BOTTLE CLOSED BY SAID CAP MEMBER BOTH IN THE NORMAL CLOSED POSITION AND THROUGHOUT SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE RANGE OF ROTATION OF THE LEVER, AND HAVING A WIDTH SUCH THAT SAID TWO INNER EDGES LIE ALONG A LINE SUBSTANTIALLY INWARDLY OF THE OUTER EDGE OF SAID SLOT SUCH THAT UPON LIFTING THE OUTER END OF SAID LEVER UPWARDLY TO ROTATE SAID CROSSHEAD SAID TWO INNER EDGES WILL PIVOT UPWARDLY AGAINST THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID CAP MEMBER TOP WALL AT AREAS LYING ON SAID LINE EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY INWARDLY OF THE OUTER EDGE OF SAID SLOT TO DEFORM SAID TOP WALL ALONG SAID LINE AND PROVIDE A PIVOT POINT FOR SAID CROSSHEAD, AND ROTATE THE OPPOSITE EDGE OF SAID CROSSHEAD DOWNWARDLY TO BEAR EFFECTIVELY AGAINST THE TOP WALL OF THE BOTTLE AND LIFT THE CAP MEMBER OUT OF CLOSING RELATION THERETO, AND BOTTLE SEALING MEANS FITTING WITHIN SAID CAP MEMBER BENEATH SAID LEVER AND LYING BETWEEN SAID LEVER AND THE BOTTLE TOP WHEN SAID CAP MEMBER IS IN BOTTLE CLOSING POSITION. 